Tag: Moon

A Thin Moon and Venus

A very thin crescent Moon will join Venus low in the evening sky tonight. The Moon will be a mere 4.3% illuminated. Both will be about 20% above the setting Sun and about 6%deg; apart. As Venus approaches inferior conjunction and transit, it too will be a thin crescent, about 6.5% illuminated. You will need a telescope to see the phase of Venus, but the beautiful pairing can be appreciated with the eye alone.

The Moon and Saturn

Saturn, the Moon and Spica will rise together in the east after sunset this evening. The three will be within 10° of each other. The Moon will be just short of full, over 94% illuminated as it rises. Saturn will be shining at 0.4 magnitude while Spica is very close to 1.0 magnitude.

Tomorrow night will see the Moon east of Saturn, but still close, just over 10°.

The Moon and Jupiter

This evening will see a razor thin Moon just above the planet Jupiter, low in the sunset. The planet will be about 5° below a 3% illuminated Moon. The Moon itself will be only 19° from the Sun at sunset, about 18:42HST. It should be a dramatic scene with the pair immersed in the colors of sunset.

A Thin Moon and Mercury

Tomorrow morning a thin Moon will join Mercury in the dawn. The 6.5% illuminated moon will be a bit over 6.5° from the planet. The pair will be over 15° above the horizon at sunrise. The planet Uranus is only 4.5° from Mercury, but at magnitude 5.9 it will be difficult to spot, even with a telescope, in the bright dawn.